Family Troubles
by Stratusfied247
Summary: [GH & Charmed Xover] Sequel to The Devotion of Three. The sisters and Andy are forced to visit Port Charles when Phoebe gets a disturbing vision. But is what she saw the only reason they are there, or a means to something else?
1. Chapter 1

"Andy? Where's your brother?"

Phoebe Halliwell didn't get an answer when she stuck her head into her sister's door. Instead, she got a shoe flying towards her that no hand had thrown. Prue let the other one fly and yelled, "Don't you know how to knock!"

"Of course, I know how to knock." Phoebe wrapped her knuckles against the door and smirked. "See? That is how you knock. Now, back to my question." Her head turned and she stared at the man that laid beside Prue Halliwell. "Where's your brother?"

Andy Trudeau narrowed his eyes. Lines in his forehead deepened. His lips pursed and his cheeks drew in deeper and deeper. "I've got two," he said cautiously. "Why and which one?"

"Um, well, see…" She twirled her fingers in a lock of chocolate hair and rocked from side to see. "It's sorta complicated, but, um… he's got longer hair? That's about all I can say because he looks exactly like you. And, see, I know it wasn't you because of the hair. Well, the hair and because you've got no reason to be soaking wet while delivering a blonde woman's baby because a) Prue's not blonde and b) even if she were, she's so not pregnant."

"Phoebe!" Prue sat up, and the sheet slipped down. She wore a royal blue button-down shirt that very obviously wasn't hers. Beside her, Andy's chest was bare. He grabbed the sheet before it could go further than his waist and jerked it back up. Prue looked at him quickly, then turned her attention back to Phoebe. "Are you going to tell us what's going on, or are you just going to ask a ton of vague questions?"

"Well, I was getting to that Prue, but I just thought that if I knew which brother I was looking at that things would become clearer. So, Andy…" She let her hand fall from her hair and turned to him. "…which brother has the longer hair and where is he?"

He looked at her in confusion, but also with eyes filled with dread. The outcome of this conversation could only be bad. "Considering that Luis, last I heard, was in Venezuela being kept away from Brenda Barrett… I'm guessing that you're talking about Lorenzo. He's in some small town in upstate New York. Now, would you please tell me what's going on?"

"Okay. So, it was Lorenzo." Phoebe shook her head. Even though a year had passed since the revelation about the Alcazar triplets had been laid in their laps, Phoebe still had occasional problems with it all. Sometimes she looked at Andy and thought that she really should be calling him Leandro. Other times, she just didn't care. This, unfortunately, wasn't a time that she couldn't care. Her head was still ringing with the reasons she had for caring.

"Phoebe…"

"Prue, please." Phoebe sighed. "Ya know, this whole triplet thing is weirder than you actually living here, Andy. Weirder than you and Prue doing the whole shacking up thing because I would have sworn that was my territory."

"Phoebe!"

This time, it was both Andy and Prue who called her name and she said, "Alright! You know I babble when I'm out of sorts and this put me out of sorts." She sighed and let her shoulders drop. "I saw your brother getting shot while delivering some woman's baby."

"What!" Andy almost jumped up, but quickly remembered that he wasn't wearing anything underneath the sheet. If he wanted to get anymore information out of Phoebe, at all, he needed to stay as covered as possible. "You saw this?"

"Yeah, and that's not all." She leaned against the doorframe and sighed. "The bullet went through him and into the woman's head. I don't know what happened after that. I don't even know why I'm seeing it. I mean, I saw your other brother, but that was because Leo was meant to help him. Probably because we were meant to know the truth." She shrugged. "I don't know. I just get this feeling that all three of you are supposed to live, and that woman is meant to live. There's something about the three of you that's not like the three of us, but in a way it is."

That was the most confusing part of it all. No one was quite sure what the meaning was of the Alcazar triplets coming so boldly into the lives of the Charmed Ones. It wasn't often that Phoebe got visions that weren't somehow supernatural, but more and more, she seemed to be getting visions of people in danger from mortal threats. They still had to save innocents, but in the end, Andy was able to put handcuffs on someone and send that person to jail. His unsolved cases were still more than most other San Francisco inspectors, but there were enough real collars in there to not raise the brows of Internal Affairs too far.

Everyone was convinced that there had to be a reason for it all. The sisters had checked the Book of Shadows, but there was nothing there. Piper Halliwell had stood with her hands over the pages, waiting for them to fly as they usually did when they had no clue what they were looking for. The pages didn't move. Grams or whatever other past Warren witch that had always been so useful didn't give them the answers they needed. Prue had even tried summoning their grandmother, but she couldn't tell them anything. The only thing Grams had to say was, "This is what happens when you let men into your lives." Yeah, Grams was a huge help.

"Now," Phoebe said, "it's completely possible that there's some supernatural bad guy waiting for us on the other end of this whole thing, because it felt like we were supposed to all be there, and really, there's no need for the Power of Three unless we're supposed to do something magickal. So, uh, yeah, I'm gonna go…" She jerked her thumb towards the door. "I need to call Piper at P-3, and then I've gotta get us booked on a flight to, um… Andy?"

"Huh?" He looked up at her as though it were the first time he'd seen her. His head was full of thoughts, questions, and anger that Lorenzo of all people had managed to get himself into some trouble that sounded more like Luis's speed. It was over a woman, after all. He sighed and said, "Oh, yeah. Um, Port… something. Gimme a sec." He thought for a few beats then said, "Port Charles. He's in Port Charles, New York. That's upstate, he said, so just fly us in to the nearest airport."

"Uh huh. Ya know, we're expecting full reimbursement from Lorenzo, since he's the rich one. Though, I could just have Cole shimmer us there…"

"Not a chance." Prue looked at her with stern eyes. Cole Turner was another situation altogether, and she didn't even want him to know where they were going. Unfortunately, she was pretty sure that Phoebe wouldn't let that happen. But, all the same, she didn't want to shimmer, anywhere. "Just get Piper here, and then we'll call Leo. He can orb us there."

"And for the way back?"

"Well, if we save Lorenzo's life, then he can fly us back." She smirked and Phoebe was glad to see the quick change in her demeanor. "He is the rich one, after all."

Phoebe grinned. "Ya know, as weird as it is, I knew Andy living here was a good thing. He's such a good influence on your sense of humor." She winked, then another shoe came flying towards her and she squealed on her way out of the room.

Prue flicked her wrist and the door slammed shut behind Phoebe. The second the door was closed, Andy was on his feet, running for his pants. "I told Lorenzo to stay out of trouble. And this is trouble. And this woman… who is this woman? He didn't tell me about a woman and I just talked to him last week!"

"Andy, calm down." Prue slid from the bed and sighed. She went to the closet and started pulling things out. They were orbing, so they would all just have to pick up clothes when they arrived. Unless, of course, Leo just orbed them near an airport. Just in case, she pulled out enough clothes to last a few days. "Whatever it is, we'll stop it. This won't be a repeat of Luis. I promise."

"Damn right, it won't be a repeat of Luis. Unless I strangle Lorenzo and he needs to be revived, which is a huge possibility." He stopped and sighed. "I'm sorry about this, Prue," he said softly.

"Don't apologize." She looked at him and grinned. "Next time a demon ruins my clothes, you can buy me new ones and we'll just call it even."

Andy looked at her and laughed as he shook his head. "You are an extraordinary woman, you know that?"

"Yes," she said, "I do." She walked to him and put a hand behind his head. She brought him down for a kiss, then winked and sdaid, "And don't you forget it."


	2. Chapter 2

Andy rubbed the back of his neck nervously, not quite sure what to say to his brother, even as the phone rang.

"Leandro?" Lorenzo's clipped tone told Andy that he wasn't alone.

"How did you know it was me?" The question sounded foolish to his own ears so it didn't surprise him when Lorenzo snorted, letting his gentleman facade slip long enough to quip.

"There is such a thing as caller id, _hermano_."

Andy sighed, then groaned. "You know, I'd noticed that you had picked up a sense of humor and almost as much sarcasm as Luis. It doesn't become you."

A small laugh came from the other end of the line, but it was tense. Lorenzo cut his laugh abruptly and groaned. "While I do enjoy talking to you, could you speed this up? From the tone of your voice, I don't think this is a social call."

"It's not," he said with a sigh. Right about then, Andy would have killed for a bullshit session with his brother. "And it's not exactly something I can tell you on the phone. It's more of a face-to-face kind of deal."

"You're coming here?"

It wasn't shock in Lorenzo's voice as much as caution. For some reason, he didn't want his brother to come to Port Charles. Had he already mentioned that he would be bringing Prue and her sisters with him, then Andy would have understood more. A year later, Lorenzo was still very uncomfortable with the witches that had been thrust before him; so much so that he refused to actually meet them altogether. He may not have followed all of the rules of the Church, but his Catholicism reared its sometimes devout head whenever the word witch was brought up in his presence.

Something was going on in Port Charles, which made Andy all the more adamant about getting to the small harbor town. It also confirmed for him, without a shadow of a doubt, that it had been Lorenzo in Phoebe's vision, and not Luis. Andy had tried to be certain before he just popped up. He'd given a call to South American to find that Luis was in the company of no blonde, pregnant women. The only female in his company was his daughter, and Andy doubted that Sage was letting any woman get anywhere near her father any time soon.

That just left Lorenzo, and it made Andy almost more angry with his brother than he was worried about him. He'd made the effort to reconnect with his family, albeit it covertly and as securely as possible. But all the same, with the help and urging of Prue, he'd made the effort to reconnect, and here he was, in the middle of something because Lorenzo had been holding back on him. That could only mean one thing. Whatever he was up to in Port Charles was illegal as all hell.

"Doing something you don't want me to arrest you for?" If possible, his voice held even less humor. "Because that's honestly the only reason you could have for not wanting me to come to town."

"Can we talk about this later, Leandro? I'm not exactly free…"

"I could care less who you've got there. In fact, it's probably one of your guards or some business associate, so you can tell whoever it is to take a walk until we've had our talk. In fact, tell them to go away for longer."

"Leandro…"

"Trust me, Lorenzo. No one there is going to mistake me for Luis. Or are you afraid of people knowing that your brother is a cop?"

Lorenzo sighed and Andy could just imagine that he was running his hand through his hair. Probably scratching at the beard that, at last sight, still covered his face well enough to distinguish him from either Luis or himself. Noise on the other end, scraping, signalled the phone had been laid down. Lorenzo's voice was thin as he spoke quickly, then picked up the receiver again. "You know what my business is, Leandro. I am not going to stop doing it because you come to town."

"Lucky for you, I don't have any jurisdiction in Port Charles. I meant what I said before, Lorenzo. If you put me in a position where I'll have to take you down, I will."

"And I don't come to San Francisco, so you won't." He groaned. "Why, exactly, are you planning a trip here? As I said earlier, your tone doesn't tell me that it's a social visit."

And they were right back where Andy didn't want to be. He looked up as Prue came into the room, followed by her sisters and Leo. Everything was all the more urgent, and he still hadn't gotten the information that he needed. They couldn't orb in if they didn't know where Leo was taking them. Andy had already made sure that the room was clear, but an empty room did nothing for direction.

Of course, it was completely possible that Andy was just stalling. He didn't want to orb, and he made no bones about it. But, Phoebe said that this was urgent, and finding enough tickets on a cross-country flight into JFK just wasn't happening soon enough. Besides, if they waited too long, Prue wouldn't have been able to keep Phoebe from inviting Cole on their little trip. That still didn't change the fact, though, that Andy was as far as humanly possible from thrilled at the concept of his body turning into hundreds of tiny balls of light, then hopefully being reassembled properly. The thought made him shudder, and looking at Leo, he shuddered again.

"I need to know your address. We're orbing in and…"

"Wait a minute!" Lorenzo's voice was stern and unwavering. "What is this we? And orbing? Is that…"

"Yeah, tiny balls of light." He rolled his eyes and groaned. "Don't remind me. It's not my preferred method of travel."

"You are not bringing those…" Lorenzo was silent for a second, then his voice lowered as he said, "…witches…" His voice rose back to its normal timbre. "…into my home."

"You've got no choice. Phoebe had a… uh…" He shook his head. "One of those things that you don't like to hear about, and it involves you. I told you already, I don't want to talk about this over the phone."

"Leandro, no." His voice lowered again. "You keep your black magic in San Francisco. I told you to leave me out of it."

"I'd leave you out of it if you wouldn't get in trouble." Andy noted the growl in his voice not only from the sound, but from the wide eyes that Piper threw his way. He sighed and turned away from the group of watchers. "Just give me the address, Lorenzo. You're not going to stop us from coming. We'll be there, regardless. Where we show up, however, is up to you."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, _hermano_, that we either orb into your empty apartment, or we take our chances and possibly end up in the middle of a crowded area. Do you really want me to do something like that with your face?"

"That's blackmail, Leandro."

He smirked. "I do still have some Alcazar in me. I changed the name, _hermano_, but I didn't change the blood… or the attitude. Give me the address."

It was a long wait, but Lorenzo gave the necessary information. He had probably never done anything under so much duress before, and Andy knew that he would make him pay for it when he arrived. Lorenzo Alcazar was not a man who was forced to do very much. He'd just have to get used to it, though, because there was a whole hell of a lot more that he was going to be forced to do. Starting with giving an explanation about this woman that had been in Phoebe's vision.

With a sigh, Andy said, "Two minutes tops," then hung up the phone. He turned back around and looked at Prue. "He's not going to like this, but… just hearing his voice, I know he's up to something. I know he's doing something that's going to get him in trouble, something he doesn't want me to know about."

Prue stepped away from the crowd and walked to Andy. She took his hand and said, "He'll appreciate it when it's over." She pulled him slowly to the others, and they all touched enough to make a complete, connecting line. "Whatever it is, you'll both be fine."

"From your lips," he muttered. Andy turned to Leo, quickly spat out the address, then closed his eyes. He gripped Prue's hand harder, then squeezed his eyes shut tighter. He was almost positive that he'd look like a fool when he showed up in Lorenzo's apartment, but he really didn't care. There was just no way in hell that he would be orbing anywhere with a smile on his face.


	3. Chapter 3

"_Cole, this is Phoebe. I don't really have time to explain but something came up and we had to leave town. Just in case something happens, we'll be in Port Charles, New York. Long story, tons of drama, but that's where we'll be. Remember… just in case."_

Cole Turner leaned back in his chair slowly. His head tilted to the side and he steepled his fingers. Slowly, the smooth lines of his face started to curve as a grin overtook him. Phoebe had stressed 'just in case' a little too much for it to be that easy. If he had to guess, he would say that one of her sisters didn't want Cole tagging along, probably Prue, but Phoebe was on the other end of that argument. She wasn't one to often tell Cole exactly where they would be, just that she had to bail and she'd be back.

He leaned forward and took a look at his blotter. He had a few days free. Not many, but just enough to pop in to give Prue and Piper a reason to scowl. It wouldn't be hard for him to take off in another day or so and shimmer into Port Charles. He had a client to meet with that afternoon, and a case to close the following morning, but after that, his schedule belonged to him. Besides, he wasn't the most comfortable being in San Francisco when the Charmed Ones weren't within helping distance. He no longer had to worry about The Source of All Evil, but there were other problems that arose in San Francisco that Cole just couldn't handle on his own. There were too many old allies who just might take the opportunity to resurrect Balthazar.

Cole leaned over and pressed the button on his intercom. "I'll be out of the office for a few days starting tomorrow afternoon," he told his secretary. "I'm heading out now for the day and won't be back in after the case is closed tomorrow. You know how to reach me."

Smirking, Cole leaned back in his chair, once more steepling his fingers. He pressed the point to his lips and let his mouth fall into thoughtful blankness. Phoebe wasn't the only reason he had to go to Port Charles. He had heard things on the darker city streets about that city, a little coup of dark magic that was being worked there. It popped up every couple of years, then went away and laid dormant for a while. He didn't think that was why the sisters were in the city, though. If that were the case, Phoebe would have asked what he had heard. More than likely, their trip was more mundane, probably dealing with Trudeau… Alcazar… Whatever the hell he decided his name was going to be that day.

Which meant they could be walking right into a lion's den. They could be headed for a problem they had no clue about, and really… What kind of friend would Cole have been if he didn't offer his existence?

He grinned and let his arms fall to his sides. Yes, he would go to Port Charles, and while two of the sisters would hate it, he knew of one that would be ecstatic. And who knows… He might even get some good play out of it. Cole turned his right hand palm-up and called forth a small ball of fire. He watched the flames roll and burn, then closed his hand, extinguishing them. He really did love when he got a chance to play with his powers.

* * *

"He stares a lot." Piper waved a hand in his face and shook her head. "He blinked, so I didn't accidentally freeze him or anything." She pursed her lips, then waved her hand again. "He's just not saying anything. Is it really that much of a shock? I mean, you said he saw Leo orb in, so what's the big deal?"

"Lorenzo has issues with witchcraft." Andy rolled his eyes and sighed. "My brother is a convenient Catholic, and his convenient Catholicism is giving him grief at the moment."

"Oh." Piper pursed her lips, then shook her head. "Okay, I can understand that." She looked at Lorenzo Alcazar and sighed. "Look, I know how you feel. When I first found out, I swore that I was going straight to Hell. But, ya know what happened? I went into the church and… didn't get hit by lightning! So, see? We're not evil. We're good, and whatever powers lead us, they're good. Else, God would have struck me down, right?"

Lorenzo still didn't say anything and Piper sighed. He was going to be a difficult one. They had avoided the shock stage with Andy, though mostly because he already had an idea. And, he was more open to it. He'd done his research and had experiences, so it was easier for him to accept that they weren't mixing witch's brew in a cauldron in the attic. Lorenzo, apparently, wasn't quite as open to believing them as Andy had been, even though their whitelighter had saved his brother's life.

"I give up," Piper said, throwing her hands in the air. "Phoebe, you give it a shot."

"About time." Phoebe rolled her eyes and stepped forward. Looking at Lorenzo was just… weird. Sure his hair was longer, but she expected there to be more of a difference between Lorenzo and Andy. "I thought Andy said you had a beard." Lorenzo's only recognition of her words were a narrowing of his eyebrows and a slight growl. "Fine, whatever."

She sighed and looked around the room. Piper was with Leo, muttering about people and their arcane beliefs. Prue stood beside Andy, but she stared at Lorenzo. It wasn't the same 'You look like Andy' stare that Phoebe had given him, though. It was more one that said there was unfinished business between the two, or maybe just some kind of beef. Phoebe was going to have to remember to ask about said business or beef later. For the moment, though…

"Okay, I'm just gonna lay it down for you. First of all, we're not going anywhere, so you might as well get used to us. We're good witches, whether you want to believe it or not, and we help people. Now that we've got… Oh, wait! Yeah, the rest of us… I'm Phoebe. The one with scowl is Piper. You already know Prue and Leo so…"

"Phoebe, get on with it."

"Prue, please! You know how I tell a story. I go all the way around and eventually I get to the point. And I'm telling the story." She rolled her eyes, then sighed. "Okay, Lorenzo, it goes like this. I had a vision, and I know that Andy's told you about those, so I won't go into the explanation about that, though it really is kinda interesting because I've got the passive power, but I can levitate and…"

"Phoebe!"

Her head whipped around and she looked at both of her sisters. Piper usually had a little more leniency when her stories grew long, but apparently, she and Prue were on the same name-screaming wavelength. "Fine," she said with a sigh. Phoebe turned back to Lorenzo. "Long story short, I got a vision of you delivering a blonde woman's baby, but before the baby was born, you got shot in the back and the bullet went through you and into her head."

"Carly…" It was Lorenzo's first word since the troupe had appearead in his apartment in singing balls of light. His scowl was instantly wiped away by fear and dread. "Corinthos…"

"Ooh, he knows two words."

"Phoebe, please…" Andy sighed as he pulled away from Prue's side and walked up to stand beside her. "Not now," he told her, then looked at his brother. Lorenzo volleyed between grief and thunderous rage. His eyes shifted between sky blue to deep navy. "Lorenzo, who is this woman?"

Lorenzo's mouth opened, then closed. He shook his head. "I'm not telling you with these people here."

"They're here to help us, Lorenzo."

"No, Leandro." He shook his head briskly. "This is not something I say in front of any of them. And it is not something I'd have told you if you hadn't shown up in my apartment. You could have at least taken a plane. Jesus, Leandro."

"I already told you, we're in too big of a hurry. And since I've done my research and know who this Corinthos is… Jesus, Lorenzo, don't tell me that Carly is his wife." Lorenzo didn't answer and Andy sighed. "I can't believe you! That's Luis's area, not you. Luis is the one that gets himself shot over other men's wives, not you. I can't believe you, Lorenzo. I really can't…"

"Leandro, please." He sighed and his body slumped. Lorenzo slouched backwards and landed to perch on the edge of a large mahogany desk. "This all started because of Luis, and it just got out of hand. I always knew…" He sighed. "I knew that Corinthos would hurt her, but to shoot us both, while she's giving birth to his son…" He shook his head. "The man is unstable, Leandro, and sadly…"

He stopped and Andy finished for him. "Let me guess, you have something to do with the reason the man is apparently insane."

Lorenzo nodded and for a few minutes, the room was silent. The air was thick with tension and looming danger. Phoebe ran her hand up and down her arms, then shuddered. The silence put her on edge and so, she chose to end it the only way she could.

"Ya know, before we get into the drama, I've just gotta say this. I absolutely love the way you say Andy's name and that other guy. R is so totally your letter, you own it. Completely hot. Could you say Leandro, just one more time?"


	4. Chapter 4

"You truly had to bring all of them?" Lorenzo rubbed the bridge of his nose, exasperated.

The youngest Halliwell stiffened. "Hey, I realize that comment's supposed to be vague and kudos for not just spilling all your frustration and such...but it's still not nice to talk about us like we're not here."

"Phoebe," Piper hissed, furrowing her eyebrows at her sister.

"Well, REALLY." Phoebe crossed her arms over her chest and wished, not for the first time, that Cole had come..not that Prue would appreciate that. But at the moment, she really didn't care what Prue would appreciate. Cole would be there for her to lean on in her frustration, and maybe she'd actually keep her mouth shut. Granted, his presence would probably just make things worse, but…

"We are not bringing a…" Prue looked around and then leaned into Phoebe, lowering her voice. "…demon into this."

"Technically, he's not a demon anymore."

"Whatever he is, do you really want to have to explain that to Lorenzo?" She sighed and shook her head. "He's got enough problems with us being witches. Do you really think that he's going to take it very well if we tell him that a former half-demon is in on it, too?"

"Well…"

"Exactly, so hush. Cole is not coming here, and that's that."

Phoebe growled and resisted the urge to stomp her foot. One of these days, she was going to get what she wanted, and Prue wasn't going to be able to do anything about it. More importantly, she'd have gotten something over her and it would be Phoebe who got to stand there with a smug look of satisfaction.

Sometimes, she almost wished that she could do a reversal spell that would just let Prue know how it felt to be the youngest sister. It had worked well enough when Piper had switched their powers. Since then, Prue had shown a lot more respect for Phoebe's passive power. She was sure she could come up with some reason that it wasn't personal gain. She was going to have to give that some thought, but for the moment, there were more pressing matters.

As Phoebe's head turned, she saw the Alcazar brothers slinking off away from them. "Hey! What's with the secrets, huh?" Phoebe narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "You know, we're supposed to be in on this whole thing, too."

"Phoebe, please." Andy gave his head a brisk shake. "Not right now, alright?" He crossed the room with Lorenzo, hoping that Phoebe would stay quiet just long enough for him to get the full story out of Lorenzo.

Once they were off to the side, leaving the sisters and Leo to discuss their end of it all, and figure out what they're end of it really was, Andy took the bottle from Lorenzo's hand, then took the glass from his lips. He'd been drinking non-stop since they orbed in, and Andy didn't like it. The more Lorenzo drank, the more he acted like Luis, and he could really do without a drunken, homocidal Alcazar on his hands.

"What happened, Lorenzo?"

He looked up at him and for a moment, Andy understood the effect that Lorenzo and Luis had on Prue and her sisters. He was used to the fact that they were all identical. He'd lived with it for nearly forty years. That was no big deal. But at that moment, looking into his brother's eyes… He was truly shocked at just how similar they could be. Every bit of pain that Andy could remember feeling on the nights he stayed awake knowing that Prue wasn't his… He saw every twinge of anguish and frustration reflected in his brother's eyes.

"I can't tell you that." Lorenzo averted his eyes and stepped back until he leaned against the wall. His arms folded and his head drooped. "That's something you really don't want to hear."

"Lorenzo…"

"You've told Luis and me time and again to leave you out of our business. Well, this started because of that business. You ask that I respect your wishes, and I'm trying to do that."

Andy sighed and rolled his eyes. This was one hell of a time for Lorenzo to give that much of a damn about his brother's ethical hang-ups. "Look, Lorenzo. I don't have any jurisdiction here. Whatever illegal things you've done, I can't do anything about them, and I'm not about to go running to the PCPD. But, for us to know what's going on, you have to tell me."

Lorenzo looked up at him with lazy eyes. He ran his hands through his hair, gripping at the roots for a moment, before letting his hands fall free. "I kidnapped her," he said with a sigh. "I stole her away from the first kidnapper, and yes, Leandro, she was already pregnant. I had her on the yacht and I told her about Sophie and there was the premature labor in South America…" He shook his head. "I know, it sounds insane, like it were all a bad dream, and sometimes, I wish it were. But that man… Corinthos does not deserve her. He doesn't appreciate her. He treats her like property, not like a woman."

Andy stared at Lorenzo while he tried to wrap his head around the bit he'd been told. He'd always been very adamant about not hearing details, and suddenly, he was being given more than he cared to hear. His brother had… kidnapped someone? Sure, he'd have expected that from Luis, but Lorenzo… "You kidnapped this woman."

"It started out as revenge for Luis. If you think our family has problems…" Lorenzo snorted a laugh. "Would you believe that it was Corinthos's brother who first kidnapped Carly? And that he is now District Attorney?" At Andy's look of shock, Lorenzo laughed again. "This woman, Leandro… She's the first woman to make me feel anything since Sophie."

"Oh, Lorenzo." He sighed and shook his head. He didn't know what was worse. The idea that they'd all had that Lorenzo would never love again, or that the melting of his heart had caused him to kidnap and practically stalk a pregnant woman. "Do you think it was a spell? Maybe you have enemies that have connections that you don't know about?"

"It's not magic, Leandro!" Lorenzo's voice was gruff and he came off the wall quickly. A little too quickly. He closed his eyes, let out a heavy breath, and leaned back against the wall. "This woman… You've never met Carly, but if you did, you would see just how much like Sophie she is. Strong and willful. But after that… It's not just Sophie, Leandro. In some respects, she's nothing like her. Selfish and calculating, but sometimes…" He shook his head. "This is no magic, Leandro. I'm in love with her."

"And this love could get the both of you killed." Andy shook his head. "Does she love you, too?"

"She will."

"Lorenzo, that's not the answer that I wanted. Or one that I'll respect. You have to stop this. Before both of you end up dead."

"And what if I stop and she's shot, anyway? Corinthos is a madman, and I know that Carly feels something for me, even if she's not fully in love with me. He won't accept that, Leandro. He won't accept his wife's feelings for another man."

"Would you?" Lorenzo didn't answer, and Andy snorted. "Exactly." He looked down at the glass in his hand and finished what was left, then sighed. "You said you have a part in his insanity?"

Lorenzo groaned and Andy knew that it was something else he wouldn't like. "I paid for a woman's plastic surgery to make her look like his dead wife."

Andy blinked rapidly, unbelieving. This was… Of all the things he thought Lorenzo would have done, this was nowhere on the list. It wasn't something on any list, because it wasn't anything that he'd have even thought could happen. It was insane, and Lorenzo was not insane. He was thoughtful, thorough… This wasn't his area of expertise.

Andy shook his head and filled the glass that he'd taken from Lorenzo with bourbon. He knocked the drink back, filled the tumbler again, then drank once more. As he filled it for a third time, considering whether he would drink it himself or give it to Lorenzo, Andy shook his head and said, "You know, you're turning more and more into Luis the more you're in this place." He stopped, stared at the glass, then handed it over to Lorenzo. "You, _hermano_, need to get the hell out of Port Charles and never come back."


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh, this is nice." Cole Turner looked around the darkened mansion and snickered. He hadn't been inside the walls of Wyndemere in years. Since his last visit, the place had been redecorated, reorganized, and it looked as though some attempt of light had been tried within the sitting room. He assumed that was the work of the new woman in Nikolas's life. Stefan always preferred the place darker when he lived there. "No wonder they stick around this place."

Cole smirked and sat down on the sofa. Wyndemere was the only place he could think of that would have been completely safe for him to shimmer into. Anywhere else, there would have been been the trouble of random people on the streets seeing him. Of course, Nikolas's wife could have seen him shimmer in, and that would have been something to explain. Something told Cole that Nikolas had failed to share the secrets of his Cassadine half with the young woman Nikolas intended to marry.

Were there not more pressing matters at hand, Cole might have cared a little more about the woman's state of mind at seeing a man materialize out of nowhere. Considering that his guesses had turned out to be true, however, made Emily Quartermaine's mental state extremely far down on his list of priorities. Somewhere between getting a manicure and buying a new suit.

But the place wasn't bad. In his Balthazar days, he would have thought it too bright. Back then, he preferred Stefan's décor a lot more than what Nikolas had put out. What did he do? Add three lights to every room? It was so bright that Cole pulled his sunglasses out of his breast pocket and put them on. "Much better," he muttered as he slouched down and spread his arms over the back of the sofa. "Now, where is everybody?"

He figured he could have gone from room to room, but that was a lot of tromping around, especially if there was no one home but Mrs. Lansbury. He could have shimmered into each room, but that wasn't the best idea. Since being infused with so much power, he had learned that the more he used them, especially unnecessarily, the darker he felt. The power he held wanted to do evil things, and it was hard enough controlling them on a regular basis. To do so with a lot of use was damn near impossible.

The large doors opened and Cole turned his head to the side. "It's about time you showed up," he said with a grin. "For someone who lives here, you sure as hell are never around."

Nikolas Cassadine stared with wide eyes, his hands gripping the doorknobs tightly. He blinked twice, then stared again. He gulped. He shook his head. Then, he came fully to life. He quickly closed the doors behind him and strode forward. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that any way to welcome an old friend?" Cole smirked and stood up. "I thought Stefan taught you better manners."

At the mention of his uncle, Nikolas went stiff. His eyes blazed and a slight tremor went through his body. He shook it off and stepped closer. "What are you doing here?"

Cole sighed and shook his head. "You know, I always told Stefan you'd grow to be an ungrateful little shit if he brought you to this place, but he just wouldn't listen." Cole shoved his hands in his pocket and stared at Nikolas. "Ungrateful, and apparently stupid, from what I hear."

Nikolas growled and his eyes started to glow a deep, menacing red. Cole let his eyes drop from his face and watched his hands. There was something there, a little spark, and Cole grinned. "I knew your powers would grow, eventually. It's always strongest in the first son of the first son." He looked back up at his face. "Tell me, have you used them lately?"

Nikolas looked down at his hands and sighed. He balled his fists and closed his eyes, obviously willing the power to back down. Cole assumed that was from his mother. Laura Spencer had been trying to stop her son from coming into his full powers since the day she knew the truth. Even without her presence, her influence was still heavy on him. Stefan would have encouraged him to build his strength, if for no other reason than to be able to control it. If he didn't practice, he would never know how to keep the power from leaking out.

Nikolas opened his eyes and they were back to deep brown. He looked up at Cole and glared. "How the hell did you get here, anyway? No launch came over, and the last I heard, the Charmed Ones had stripped you of your powers. Balthazar was banished."

"So was the Source, little flaky one, but that power had to go somewhere." He smirked and held his arms out to the side. "You're looking at the new Source of All Evil. Too bad for the other side that I don't want to use my powers for them, huh?"

"Let me get this straight. You're the new Source… You're the one that's supposed to lead all the bad little demons and convert or destroy all of us fence-straddling half-breeds. Why don't I buy that?"

"Neither do I know nor do I care." Cole rolled his eyes. He'd never particularly cared for Nikolas. It was his blood that made him different. There was something about Laura Spencer… Cole would almost swear that there was a whitelighter in her line somewhere. Her blood was just too damned good for her to be just anybody. But, if there were a whitelighter in there somewhere, no one had yet to find it. The only evidence was Nikolas and his firm belief that he had to fight all of his powers as long as possible.

"I'm not here on a social visit," Cole told him. "The only Cassadine I'd see of my own free will is Stefan, and you've effectively ruined that possibility." He rolled his eyes. "But, there are things you need to know. About Stefan, about other things. You're the first son of the first son, Nikolas. It's your duty to make sure that this family is protected and let me tell you, kid. You're doing a horrible job of it."

"You don't have a clue what's been going on here, with this family. No one has even seen you around here since before the Charmed ones vanquished Balthazar. Even before that, you only came around to get my uncle into some kind of demon mess."

"You're uncle was over half demon, you idiot. Demon mess was his mess." He shook his head. "Besides, for all the contempt in your voice when you talk about him, you forget that your uncle is the reason that bitch of a grandmother of yours didn't turn you into the Source's pawn."

Stefan Cassadine was the perfect example of exactly what Cole had fought so hard to show Phoebe and her sisters. That half-demon didn't mean completely evil. It didn't mean that they didn't know how to love. It just meant that they were a little darker, more susceptible to the bad than others. But Stefan knew how to love. He'd cared for Nikolas as though he were his own son. He'd protected him and kept him as safe as he could for as long as he could. Stefan could love, and so could Cole. Thankfully, he'd convinced Phoebe of that. Too bad he couldn't fully convince Prue and Piper.

"My uncle put on a good face." Nikolas walked past Cole, pushing past him as he crossed the room. He sat down behind the desk on the far wall and groaned. "My uncle succumbed to the dark side, and because of that, he's dead."

"This isn't Star Wars, Nikolas, it's real life. There is no dark side for him to succumb to. There is no Emperor or any of that garbage. And honestly, do you know so little about your uncle that you could really believe that was him?"

Nikolas's head jerked up quickly. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, this is just rich." Cole shook his head as he laughed bitterly. "Helena is not that good, Nikolas. Whatever she created, you should have known that wasn't Stefan. I may not have been here, but I heard enough of the story to know what happened. Did anything that happened sound like something Stefan would have done?"

Nikolas was silent and Cole groaned. "So wrapped up in your pretty princess wannabe that you couldn't see what was right in front of your face. The man that was here was not Stefan Cassadine," he told him, "and the only reason I knew to look into this is because Phoebe got called to Port Charles."

"What? The Charmed Ones… They're here?"

"Don't worry. They're not here to vanquish you. Though, I'm starting to believe there are other reasons for them being in town than the one that Phoebe didn't tell me about." He rolled his eyes and groaned. "Besides, you should be glad that they're here. Because they are probably the only ones that will keep your grandmother from getting ahold of you permanently." Cole clapped his hands together in front of him and laughed. "Now, aren't you glad that Balthazar got vanquished? With that half in me, I wouldn't give nearly enough of a damn to come all the way here and help you, let alone come and see you before I even let Phoebe know I was here."


End file.
